Conman snared widower in £20k child abuse sting

BLACKMAILER JAILED AFTER PRETENDING TO BE TEENAGE GIRL AND THEN PART OF PAEDOPHILE HUNTING GROUP

- LYNDA ROUGHLEY & STEPHEN TOPPING

A 'NASTY' blackmailer tricked a grieving widower on Tinder before scamming him out of £20,000 by pretending to be a paedophile hunter.

Jordan Guest, from Timperley, Trafford, lured his lonely victim to an account which claimed to be from someone named 'Georgia'

A court heard how the victim - a Warrington man who cannot be named for legal reasons - had lost his wife and joined Tinder believing it was an age-verified dating app. Guest, 27, began communicating with his victim using the profile of 'Gemma' - who could be seen drinking in bars and clubs in images.

After 'Georgia' encouraged the victim to switch their conversation to WhatsApp, she told him she was only 15, before sending him scantily-clad images and pestering him into saying he would kiss her neck and breasts.

The man ended their chats after three days. But hours later, Guest returned, claiming to be part of a paedophile hunting group before conning the victim out of thousands of pounds over the course of five months.